Follow the disaster on the ECHO’s special live blog and Twitter using hashtag #exercise999

Rescue workers will today assemble in Liverpool for a major disaster exercise designed to test emergency services to the limits.

An “unthinkable” mock disaster – codenamed Joint Endeavour – has taken two years to plan, will run for 14 hours, and involve more than 1,000 people from 45 organisations, including police, ambulance and fire services.

Details of the incident have been kept closely under wraps, with officers and staff unaware this morning of the situation that will present itself.

Ground zero will centre on Merseyfire’s training academy on Storrington Avenue, Croxteth, with bases also at Altcar training camp in Hightown and at Croxteth Hall.

Joint Endeavour was described as “the largest and most ambitious joint training programme ever undertaken by the three blue light services”.

Other organisations involved include Liverpool city council, British Transport Police, the Ministry of Defence, the Environment Agency, HM Coastguard and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

The training programme was created after public inquiries following a number of major incidents, including the London bombings in 2005 and the Derek Bird shootings in Cumbria in 2010, reported that although the emergency services worked well independently, they did not work together as well as they could.

Merseyside Police assistant chief constable Darren Martland, said: “The exercise is the culmination of two years training across the emergency services and it will test the joint response of the emergency services, and a number of other agencies, in relation to those initial hours following a major incident.”

Merseyfire chief Dan Stephens added: “The exercise will require all three emergency services to work closely together to manage hazards and effect numerous rescues. Exercises like Joint Endeavour are invaluable, as they allow our specialist teams to put their skills and knowledge to the test under highly realistic conditions in an environment where effective co-ordination with other emergency services and agencies is essential.”

The programme has been put together by JESIP, the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme.

Follow the disaster on the ECHO’s special live blog and on Twitter using the hashtag #exercise999